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Seven months after launching an online crime-mapping tool that allows users to document where thefts and break-ins have occurred, police have added violent crimes to the map.

“We wanted to make sure putting out information to the public didn’t have a negative impact on our investigation and we aren’t seeing that,” said Det. Andrew Whitford of London’s crime analysis unit.

“We’ve got some good feedback from the public about greater awareness of crimes in their neighbourhoods,” he said, adding police have sought feedback through meetings with Neighbourhood Watch members. “Hopefully this will motivate people to provide full information to us.”

Whitford said information compiled through a police-only area of the tool have already helped prevent crimes and make arrests. A recent example was a high-profile bike-theft sting, in which police used information about when and where thefts were occurring to plant a sturdy $250 bike as bait.

Within two minutes of locking the bike up downtown, officers saw a red-shirted bandit snatch it.

Whitford said people are also more apt to report crimes in their neighbourhood — especially petty crime — when they notice a trend. “This map is about engaging people. If we can encourage people to report crimes to us, we may not solve that crime but we can prevent others,” he said.

Whitford said police won’t put sexual or domestic assaults on the map to protect victim privacy.

“If you see a police cruiser at your neighbour’s house and the next day on the map you see a sexual assault. . . . We are just trying to find the balance,” he said.

The online crime-mapping tool lets users conduct narrow searches and find where certain crimes have taken place in London during the past three months, and even the most common days of the week and times of the day.

It doesn’t list exact addresses, but pinpoints locations down to the block.

The newly added offences — violent crimes — will be posted after a three-day delay, to give officers time to do the initial investigation and determine whether there are privacy concerns.

As of Thursday, the following offences that occurred over the past three months were documented on the map: Arson, attempted murder, assault and aggravated assault, disturbances, fraud, homicide, impaired driving, shoplifting, theft, vandalism, weapons offences.

The map, called RAIDS Online, can be found at www.police.city.london.on.ca. Users can also subscribe to Crime Alerts, which will send an e-mail notification when a crime has occurred within a specific radius of an address.